Bile is made by the liver to help with digestion.  Bile is stored in the gallbladder and then carried out of the body through bile ducts.  When the bile duct is blocked, waste builds up in the liver causing problems to the bile flow.

Common disorders of the bile duct:

Bile duct cancer

Cholangiocarcinoma is a cancerous growth in the bile ducts.  It is rare only occurring in about 2 out of 100,000 people.

Choledocholithiasis

Choledocholithiasis is the presence of a gallstone in the common bile duct. Symptoms include abdominal pain, fever, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting.

Gallstones
When substances in bile become crystallized in the gallbladder, gallstones are formed.  The gallstones can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball.  They can be hard or soft, smooth or jagged.  Gallstones are very common and harmless, but are painful.